UK Triathlon Magazine 220 did a review on them and where disapointed as usually they give 2XU products good ratings. They put them on a divice that measures the compression & the compression was actually graded the wrong way. They said that luckerly the compression was at a low enough level that they should have a detrimental effect.
If this wasn’t just a rogue pair that got tested then I wouldn’t recomend them for recovery though maybe they have some benifit during training/racing it giving the muscles support etc? I wonder how many of the compression product are graded poorly or don’t really offer enough compression?
I was having severe calf issues in the spring so I thought I’d try them. they didn’t do much for me. i didn’t notice any relief. It may be b/c they didn’t fit well. I didn’t feel like they were compressing my calves much at all.
The recovery socks are a Nylon Lycra that is going to be a bit heavier and tighter thus promoting blood return and decreasing recovery time.
The Race socks are a lighter material using Polyester Elastane which provides better moisture management and breathability.
These are better for during activity where the containment and stability are more important than the circulation.
We just received these in the US yesterday and despite the office chuckles, a few of us have been wearing one of each and do notice a slight difference in feel. Obviously once you get out and work out in them, the breathability would become more evident as well.